The Physical Activity Addition
by SergeantFuzzyBoots
Summary: After receiving some poor news after getting medical examinations, the girls want to help their guys get healthier. Pairings: all canon couples (Leonard/Penny, Shamy, Howard/Bernadette).
1. The Pizza Elimination

**So, this is an idea I've had for a while now and I finally got the first chapter done, so here it is. I'm not exactly sure how long it will be, but probably around six or seven chapters at the most.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Raj was not happy. With his arms folded tightly over his chest he frowned around 4A's living room at his three friends, his lower lip jutting out.

"I'm not necessarily condoning young Joffrey's actions, but in terms of preventing future mutiny, that was a pretty wise move saying goodbye to Ned Stark's head," said Sheldon, arms held up defensively as he continued the argument that had been going on for nearly ten minutes now.

"But Ned, Arya, and Sansa were going to be his bargaining chips to get Jaime back," Leonard countered, leaning forward in his armchair. "Every Lannister knew he made a mistake."

"Yeah," Howard agreed. "He had a chance to get their best warrior back and blew it with his theatrics."

The theoretical physicist scoffed. "Jaime Lannister was beaten by a boy who'd never gone to battle before; he can't have been that good."

Raj wholeheartedly disagreed with Sheldon's defense of Joffrey Baratheon, but, in this particular case, that wasn't what had the loveable foreigner riled up.

"Excuse me!" he said indignantly, keeping up his frown. "I started a conversation about the results of the medical examinations we got at work today." He narrowed his eyes, glaring between the three of them. "How the hell did you guys jump from that to _Game of Thrones_?"

"We were trying to veer away from your topic of conversation," Sheldon explained pleasantly. He smiled at Raj before turning back to Leonard and Howard and continuing to make a case for Joffrey.

The astrophysicist glumly sank lower in his seat. "How come you guys never wanna talk about what I want to talk about?" he complained.

"We talk about things you like," said Howard. "It's just this time if we let you talk, it'll be like watching an hour long promotion for one hundred calorie snack packs."

"Well excuse me for caring about my body." He took a sip from his water bottle. Normally, he grabbed a beer from the fridge since Penny, Amy, and Bernadette would be over soon, but he was on such a high from the results of the check up he'd had today that he wanted to keep up that good work by hydrating himself.

"However," he continued. "It doesn't matter what you guys think. I happen to have a perfectly healthy heart and my blood pressure's normal." Raj's proud smile faltered when he was once again ignored and the talk reverted back to the goings on in Westeros.

The astrophysicist's mood only darkened when the girls entered a moment later. Great. Now he couldn't talk either. Though considering no one was listening to him anyway, it didn't make much of a difference. But he wasn't caving to alcohol yet; if he couldn't have speech, then he'd at least have his golden temple of a body.

"Hey, guys," Penny greeted them, moving to sit on the arm of Leonard's chair.

"Hey," Leonard said as Amy and Bernadette took seats near their respective significant others. "What'd you guys get up to this afternoon?"

"Not much. Just some shoe shopping," Penny replied.

"Yes," Amy said, grinning proudly. "My closet is now filled to the brim with dazzling footwear that will murder my feet for the next month."

"Oh, well that's ... great?" Leonard glanced at Penny who merely shrugged.

"What about you guys?" Bernadette asked.

"Not too much, we –" Howard began before Raj cleared his throat loudly, shooting the engineer a glare. They weren't getting out of this that easily.

Howard frowned at his best friend before mumbling, "We all got medical examinations at the nurse's office today."

"Just a standard check up," Leonard added quickly. "They checked our blood pressure, reflexes, heart health. Nothing major."

Sheldon nodded. "Yes, quite a tedious afternoon, now back to Joffrey, I don't understand why you're giving the little fella such a hard time –"

"Wait, how did the check ups go?" Bernadette interrupted, earning a look of exasperation from Sheldon. She didn't see it but the microbiologist's persistence also got her a pleased look from Raj.

Howard gave his wife a shrug. "Eh, you know. Same old same old."

"What's 'same old same old'?" Amy asked, frowning.

The three men began mumbling incoherently, their nervousness causing them to make odd gesticulations and avoid eye contact. Only Sheldon's voice could sometimes be heard clearly as he once again attempted to bring attention back to his _Game of Thrones_ discussion.

But Raj wasn't letting that happen. He rose from his seat and went to Sheldon's desk, ignoring the theoretical physicist's protests as he grabbed a sheet of paper and began scribbling furiously on it.

Once finished, he handed the paper to Bernadette and the girls gathered round to read it. Raj flashed a smug smile at his friends.

The shocked outbursts came all together:

"Leonard, you have high blood pressure!"

"Sheldon, so do you!"

"Howard, you're at high risk for heart disease!"

The boys' gazes turned to the floor, each of them suddenly very interested in their feet awkwardly scuffling against the ground.

Eventually Howard cleared his throat. "Yeah, so, like I said, same old same old."

"This doesn't worry you at all?" Bernadette asked incredulously.

Her husband shrugged. "Heart disease runs in my family. And all my relatives led very happy and prosperous lives until they keeled over and died at fifty."

"_Fifty_?" Bernadette repeated, her voice reaching a pitch so high it probably would have driven Raj's dog crazy.

"Still leaves me about twenty years," Howard said, trying to sound enthusiastic to add some humour to the conversation but failing quite miserably as his wife's eyes merely flashed.

"No husband of mine is gonna die at fifty!" she shot back in a tone that brooked no argument, and sounded very much like Howard's mother.

"These are serious medical concerns," Amy agreed. "You should start taking better of yourselves before they develop into something worse."

The three muttered their assents much to the satisfaction of their girlfriends and Raj. However, their pleasure didn't last long.

"So, did you guys want to order a pizza?" Sheldon asked after a moment.

"How is that taking better care of yourself?" Penny asked.

"I walked up four flights of stairs after work _and_ didn't have a cookie at lunch because they were all out!" Sheldon explained. "If you ask me, that has a well deserved break written all over it."

"You've been using the stairs for nearly ten years, Sheldon," Amy pointed out. "Judging by the results of your physical, it hasn't made much of a difference."

The theoretical physicist tilted his head to frown at his roommate. "Sheldon," he said, deepening his voice to mimic Leonard. "Stop complaining about the elevator being broken, at least we're getting exercise!" He narrowed his eyes as he returned to his normal voice. "Thanks for that death trap of a lie!"

"Hey, I'm in the same boat as you are!" Leonard argued defensively.

"It doesn't matter whose fault it is," Bernadette said, her strained voice demonstrating very clearly that she was at her wit's end with the three male scientists. "What matters is that you fix this." She narrowed her eyes as she looked between them, her tiny size and high voice somehow making the microbiologist appear all the more menacing. She spoke in a dark voice. "_Starting now_."

"Yes, ma'am," the three said in unison, each sitting up slightly straighter in their panic to not get in more trouble.

"Good," Penny said. She placed a hand on Leonard's back. "You could start coming to the gym with me. Start things up again with your on again off again membership."

"Really? Because that membership and I had a pretty mutual parting of ways – but eighth time could be the charm!" he finished quickly when Penny squeezed his shoulder a little harder than was comfortable.

"Sheldon, you and I could actually get gym memberships," Amy suggested.

The theoretical physicist raised his eyebrows at his girlfriend's comment as a sudden realization hit him. "That's right. You don't go to the gym or engage in very much physical activity. How is it you're doing so much better than I am?"

The neurobiologist shrugged. "Your job doesn't have you tussling with monkeys every other day." The group watched in mild discomfort as Amy's eyes narrowed as though she were remembering something. However, after a moment she shook her head. "But, seeing as I've recently been removed from that project, it's only fitting that I join you in your quest to get active."

"Howie, I take a self-defence class that you could start coming to," Bernadette said, her tone returning to normal, but still managing to imply that the engineer _would_ not _could_ start accompanying his wife to these classes.

"Okay," Howard agreed, briefly standing so he could plant a kiss on her lips.

Raj stared at the three once-again happy couples from where he stood by Sheldon's desk. He was unhappy again. Sure, the girls had been meant to guilt trip their men into exercising and eating healthier, but they weren't supposed to go workout together now! That was where Raj had been going to come in, finally getting some workout buddies! But apparently the loveable foreigner was once again flying solo.

Now rather irritated, Raj grabbed another sheet of paper from the theoretical physicist's desk and wrote something on it. He walked around Leonard's chair and handed it to the Texan.

Sheldon frowned up at the astrophysicist after reading it. "Joffrey sucks eggs?"

Raj simply shrugged.

**Review if you'd like. :) And, I know we haven't heard the guys have very in depth discussion about Game of Thrones, so I could be wrong in assuming Sheldon's stance on characters like Joffrey, but since in other things like Star Wars, he's identified with the antagonists as opposed to the Rebel Alliance, I figured he'd lean more towards the Lannisters than the Starks.**


	2. The Sweaty Rule-Breaking Conundrum

**Here's chapter two! Leonard, Penny, and Shamy at the gym. I was originally going to include Howard and Bernadette's workout in this chapter, too, but this one turned out pretty long without that, so that will be in chapter three! Hope you all enjoy this one. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Except Mr. Meaty Muscle Man. But he's meh.**

"I've changed my mind, I don't want to do this." Arms folded across his chest, Sheldon stared at the rows of fitness equipment that lined the gym, most occupied by sweaty individuals who were leaving wet stains on the seats and handle bars.

The theoretical physicist's comment was met by three exasperated sighs from his friends. "Come on, Sheldon," Leonard said, clad in his grey hoodie and black sweat pants. "We both agreed to do this, so let's just get it over with."

"See, that's your guys' problem right there," said Penny. "You're going into this with a negative attitude. If you took a more optimistic outlook and got excited about working out, then you'd have a lot more fun."

Sheldon frowned at his neighbour. "I give you the same advice every Tuesday when you waitress for us and you have never once heeded it. Why should I be any more courteous to you when you give me the same tip?"

Penny glared back. "Just go run on the damn treadmill!"

"Actually," Amy said, stepping in between the two. "I thought Sheldon and I might start with the weights."

"Really?" her boyfriend asked, sounding skeptical.

The neurobiologist shrugged. "Well, sure. It's a great partner activity for exercising. I lift weights while you spot me, then you go while I spot those long, lanky arms pumping fifty pounds of iron..." Amy trailed off, gazing longingly at the theoretical physicist's upper arms. Without warning, she grabbed hold of his bicep and began towing him towards the weight machines. "Come on, let's go!"

The other couple watched the Shamy go for a moment before Penny turned to Leonard. "So," she said. "How about we start with some cardio? See if we can get you running a mile without blood pouring out your nose!"

Leonard offered a hesitant smile to the enthusiastic grin she was giving him. "Okay, but no elliptical, alright?" He suppressed a shudder remembering whatever sort of attack had taken hold of his body while he'd been trying to get tenure.

"Fine, no elliptical," Penny agreed. "But that means no furniture disease jokes!"

Leonard smirked. "Agreed."

"Okay," Penny said. "So I'm thinking we'll warm up on the treadmill for ten minutes, then stretch, and then we'll go full out with the cardio."

The experimental physicist gave a nervous laugh. "That first ten minutes on the treadmill isn't considered going full out with the cardio?"

The waitress shrugged. "Well, we're not sprinting or anything, just doing a light jog."

"Oh ..." Leonard trailed off, patting the outside pocket of his sweatpants.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing," he replied. "Just making sure I have my inhaler ready."

Penny shook her head playfully and squeezed his arm. "Relax, it'll be fine." The Nebraskan began leading her boyfriend towards the running machines. "And on the off chance you can't get your inhaler out, I brought an extra with me for you."

"Really?" Leonard asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Hey, I promised I was going to take care of my man." She grinned, giving him a nudge.

Leonard smiled back. "Well, that's good. Because if you're making him run on the treadmill, he's going to have a lot of things for you to take care of by the end of the ten minutes."

Penny smirked. "I know."

As the couple stepped onto the rubber surfaces of the desired machines, the Shamy had reached the weights, Sheldon judgementally staring at the contraption Amy wanted him to use.

The neurobiologist watched her boyfriend, right eyebrow slowly rising higher and higher as he continued to gaze with narrowed eyes at the equipment without saying a word. "Do you not know how to use it?" she asked.

Sheldon scoffed, amusedly waving a dismissive hand at his girlfriend. "Amy, please. I have an exceptional knowledge of the universe and the goings on within it. It'd be pretty sad if I didn't know how to operate this hunk of metal that the steroid-infused athletes who attended my high school got such a kick out of." The theoretical physicist nodded a few times, at first smugly, but the self-confidence slowly began to drain from his face. "However," he continued, avoiding eye contact with the neurobiologist. "In case there are some lesser-minded first timers lurking around here hoping to understand how to work these ... _things_ without having to ask for help, for their benefit, you might want to just go ahead and explain how the darn contraption works."

Amy raised an amused eyebrow, but decided not to call her boyfriend out on his obvious lie. He'd be much more inclined to actually exercise if he thought he'd mentally triumphed over her. "Lie down with your back on the seat and the base of your neck just under that bar, knees bent, and feet on the floor," she instructed. Sheldon did as he was told, laying down and then resting a leg on either side of the seat. With the theoretical physicist's legs spread apart and Amy standing near his feet, the neurobiologist had _quite_ a pleasant view. She stared for a few glorious moments before Sheldon's perplexed expression snapped her out of it.

Amy cleared her throat, straightening up. "Now," she continued. "Put your hands on the weight, lift it off the bar, bring it down just above your chest, and start pumping it up and down." She pushed her arms in and out to demonstrate the motion.

Sheldon eyed the weight that rested above him and, for a moment, Amy was worried that he was going to, again, refuse to participate. However, after a few pensive seconds, the theoretical physicist clutched the weight with his hands and began to push.

Nothing happened. Well, that wasn't entirely accurate; Sheldon let out a strained grunt as he tried and failed to remove the weight from the bar it was resting on. _That_ unfortunately happened. However, the theoretical physicist's upper body strength allowed him to do little else. Amy was a tad shocked. She had figured that her boyfriend would quickly get exhausted from lifting the weight, but she had at least thought Sheldon would be able to move the stick of metal from its perch.

Throughout her bemusement, the Texan continued to struggle with his metallic adversary. When he spoke, his voice was a panted whisper, "Amy!" he wheezed, eyes still shut from the effort. "As the helpful ... caring ... girlfriend in this relationship ... and so-called spotter ... in this gym excursion ... I think ... this is about the point ... where you step in ... and help the ... capable ... though currently struggling for some ... underdetermined reason ... boyfriend ... lift this!"

"Usually the spotter just lifts the weight if it's pinning the other person down by their neck," Amy explained. "Maybe we should just try a different weight machine."

"Don't be ...," Sheldon panted. "_Ridiculous!_" On the last word he sent another shove the weight's way, but still it did not budge. "Maybe ... if you just ... got me a lighter ... weight!"

"This is the lightest weight they have."

The theoretical physicist let his arms fall limply from the metal bar. "Well, nuts to this," he said, feebly sliding off of the seat. "Let's try something else," he mumbled from the floor.

Amy hurried to help him stand up.

Back on the treadmills, Leonard was feeling rather proud of himself.

"This isn't so bad," he said, panting a little, but only slightly. He allowed himself a grin. At this rate, he wasn't going to need his inhaler at all!

"That's great!" Penny said, smiling. "But, uh, sweetie, you've been going at a slow walk for almost five minutes now. You might want to start working up to a jog."

"Oh." Leonard glanced at his girlfriend who was – from his perspective – going at a very fast jog, hardly breaking a sweat and having no trouble running and talking to him at the same time. Reluctantly, the experimental physicist pushed a button on his treadmill to speed up the pace. He became increasingly more nervous as he progressed into a speed walk, his limited agility barely allowing him to keep up with the machine. But he wasn't jogging yet, so ...

Leonard gripped the sides of the treadmill as he began to slowly run – or at least, what was deemed a slow run by most people. For him, it was racing for his life to stay on the damn thing.

Penny raised an eyebrow when he did this. "You okay over there?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good!" He tried to wave off his apparent trepidation, but had no sooner lifted his hand from the machine than he was clutching back on, nearly slipping when he let go.

"Are you sure?" Penny asked, eyes having widened further when he stumbled. "Most people only hold the treadmill when they put it on an incline."

"Trust me!" Leonard gasped. "You don't want me to let go of this thing!"

As the experimental physicist tipped his head back from the strain, he felt something begin to trickle down from his nose. Dreading filling inside him as he realized what it was, Leonard was about to inform Penny, when something distracted him.

Sheldon was running, about as fast as he had when Jimmy Speckermen had chased him and Leonard out of the apartment. And it appeared that the theoretical physicist was under similar circumstances now. A large, incredibly muscled man was pursuing Sheldon through the gym. It was hard to tell, but it looked like he had a face full of the blue liquid that was used to wipe down the seats and handle bars of the exercise equipment after each use.

Leonard grimaced. _Don't tell me_ ...

"This is not on me!" Sheldon yelled over his shoulder. "It is strict policy that you clean the machines after your sweaty, meaty body has been all over it! It's not my job to clean up after you! I'm just ensuring that rules are enforced!"

The theoretical physicist's roommate slapped a hand to his forehead in frustration, and went flying off the treadmill.


End file.
